BBL 2025/26 | Match 39: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars | Preview and Predictions

The Perth Scorchers will take on the Melbourne Stars in Match 39 of the 2025/26 KFC Big Bash League season at Optus Stadium on January 17, 2026. 

It doesn’t get much bigger than this for a regular-season contest: the winner of this clash will leapfrog the Hobart Hurricanes and top the table, earning home ground advantage and two bites at the cherry in the play-offs. However, the loser will have a more difficult path to the title and will be thrust into a third-versus-fourth knockout.

Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match 39 of BBL|15. 

BBL|15 Match 39: Scorchers vs Stars | 14:45 IST, January 17, 2026

The Perth Scorchers continue their fine form, having won six out of nine matches in the league so far and qualified for the play-offs. With home advantage being so important for them this season, it was imperative that they got a result against the Melbourne Renegades in their last match to stand any chance of finishing in the top two. Now playing the Melbourne Stars at home, they have the golden opportunity to finish at the top of the table and play their play-off fixtures at home.

In the batting department, following a brief patch of lean returns, both their explosive openers have arrived to the party at the business end of the season. Thanks to his magnificent century in the last match, Finn Allen is now the leading run-scorer for the Scorchers with 312 runs from eight outings, with Mitchell Marsh sitting close behind with 299 runs. The support from the rest of the middle order, especially from Aaron Hardie (276 runs), has been equally impressive.

However, the same cannot be said for their bowling attack. This is an area where the Scorchers must improve before the play-offs. Joel Paris and Cooper Connolly lead the wicket-takers’ column with 11 wickets each, with no other bowler having yet crossed the ten-wicket mark for the season.

The Melbourne Stars, on the other hand, won their first four matches to start the tournament, before three defeats on the bounce started to threaten that early-season promise. However, with two commanding victories in their last two games, they became one of the first teams to book their place for the play-offs. However, with the top spot still up for grabs, and given the opportunity to play the play-offs at home, they’d be raring to go and put in another statement performance.

In the batting department, Sam Harper has been the Stars’ leading run-scorer so far this tournament. The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has scored 365 runs at an average of 73 and a strike rate of 156. Apart from him, skipper Marcus Stoinis has also crossed the 200-run mark, while there have been decent contributions from the likes of Tom Rogers and Campbell Kellaway as well.

In terms of bowling, the Stars have delivered outstanding performances this season. Almost all their bowlers have been seen performing brilliantly multiple times. This is why Peter Siddle, Tom Curran, Haris Rauf, and Stoinis are among the top wicket-takers in the tournament so far. With more such stellar performances, they can help the team win their first BBL title.

In terms of the weather forecast and pitch report for this game, conditions are expected to be clear and humid throughout. The pitch here at Optus Stadium is a balanced surface. Fast bowlers will have the upper hand in the early overs, but as the game progresses, the pitch will settle down and become more favourable for batting. Spinners will also play a key role in this match.

Looking ahead to this fixture, both the Perth Scorchers and the Melbourne Stars have consistently performed well, but if we look at their head-to-head record, the Scorchers have always had a slight upper hand against the Stars. Moreover, with the Scorchers playing at home and in fine form, we’re backing them to edge this contest, though it’ll be far from easy.

Fantasy XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sam Harper (vc), Finn Allen, Thomas Rogers, Cooper Connolly, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Peter Siddle, Joel Paris, Haris Rauf, Mitchell Swepson

Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth 
Winners Prediction: Perth Scorchers